What are stretch marks and where do they appear?

They can also be caused by sudden weight gain or loss – any rapid changes in the body that the skin is unable to keep up with. Stretch marks form when naturally elastic skin is inflated to capacity – and then inflated a little more.

The connective fibres in the skin are pulled apart and the fissures show on the skin as jagged red or pink stripes, following the path of the torn fibres.

When the skin shrinks – when the baby is born or weight-loss is achieved – the angry colour fades and the stretch marks become paler, turning light pink, white or a translucent silvery tone.

These marks are not as noticeable as the darker ones, but they can still make a woman feel very self-conscious and unwilling to show her body on the beach, at the gym or even at home.

Stretch marks are most commonly found on the belly, but they can also often be found on the upper arms, shoulders, hips and thighs.

Having stretch marks can be embarrassing, but it really is nothing to be mortified about. They’re not a sign of a poor diet or a lack of self-control or even bad genes. While some families are more prone to stretch marks than others, in general it is the extremity to which the skin is stretched that determines the severity of a stretch mark rather than genetic inheritance.

For most people, the ease with which they will get stretch marks is determined by how much collagen their body is producing.

Can men get stretch marks too?

Stretch marks can occur in men too but usually only in extreme cases when a man has gained or lost an exceptional amount of weight.

Almost all women have stretch marks somewhere on their body at some time in their lives. It is a sad fact that for many their first stretch marks appear at puberty – a time in their lives when they are already terribly self-conscious about their bodies and the dramatic changes they are undergoing.

The reason men get off lightly when it comes to stretch marks and wrinkles is because their skin is naturally slightly thicker than female skin – and this makes it stronger and less prone to damage from sagging or thinning.

How does collagen affect stretch marks?

Still not sure how taking collagen will help with stretch marks? Up to the age of 25 your body probably produces enough collagen for stretch marks and wrinkles not to be too much of an issue. After that, as your natural collagen production declines, you may want to look into ways of improving your collagen levels.

How can I make my stretch marks go away?

There are several ways to boost your collagen and improve the appearance of stretch marks, including treatments, supplements and more.

Common skin treatments to reduce stretch marks are Intense Pulse Light and Microneedling. The first uses intense pulses of light to promote collagen production. This requires multiple treatments and can be very expensive. Plus, results vary and little is known about the long-term effects.

Microneedling also requires multiple treatments to see a difference. Instead of using light to promote collagen production, this treatment involves deliberately poking the skin with needles. This causes the body to flood the area with collagen to promote healing. This procedure is very invasive and, like the above, results may vary.

Instead of opting for an invasive and expensive treatment, you can treat stretch marks with collagen drinks.

Collagen supplements are a painless, non-invasive way to boost your natural collagen production without the need for expensive treatments in clinics that might take you away from your home or work for hours at a time.

The beauty of collagen supplements is that they get to work deep in the body, where your collagen is produced, unlike topical treatments that can improve the superficial appearance of the skin in the area on which it is applied.

Topical treatments work by replumping the skin cells with hydrating oils and lotions and improving circulation in the area, while oral collagen supplements work very differently.

All the nutrients in collagen supplements work together to increase your natural collagen production. They’re then used by the parts of the body that need them the most – such as bones, hair and muscles – and usually collagen ends up being used in the skin.

How quickly will it work?

Red, angry stretch marks are soothed and minimised within as little as two weeks of beginning to use a collagen supplement.

But your stretch marks are not the only part of your body that will benefit from the influx of collagen: your muscles will reap the benefits, as will your digestive system.

Collagen is something of an all-rounder when it comes to the human body, working away in many organs to improve health and rejuvenate cells.

Are there any other benefits to using collagen supplements?

Another benefit will be the reduction in all types of scarring, including acne, and a smoothing out of wrinkles. These features are simply forms of scarring, just like stretch marks. And if collagen works on stretch marks, it will work on these other types of scars too.

Some more collagen information

How will taking collagen help with stretch marks and is there any way that this can be maximised?

The best collagen supplements to help with stretch marks are those made from marine collagen.

Marine collagen is a superior product to those made from bovine or porcine collagen because marine collagen is more readily absorbed by the body and works more effectively to provide elasticity and stretch to your skin.

Use the supplement in combination with a healthy and active lifestyle and you’ll start to notice a difference in not just your skin, but your hair, nails, muscles and joints too.

Why Absolute Collagen?

Absolute Collagen’s drinkable sachets are made of up hydrolysed marine collagen and vitamin C. Just one a day can leave your skin soft and glowing, as well as clearing up any scars and stretch marks that you may have.

Lena, one of our #Absoluters, said: “I have been taking Absolute Collagen for over a month now … I have also noticed my stretch marks actually look more smoothed out around my tummy from having kids.”

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